RNA Canada ARN congratulates Dr. Ute Kothe, Professor and Dean of Extended Education at the University of Manitoba as the 2024 recipient of the RNA Society’s Lifetime Achievement award.
From the award announcement: In collaboration with Kristian Baker, Ute conceived of and built the RNA Salon program, which unites and elevates local RNA communities around the world by providing financial support for seminars and related activities. Since its beginning in 2016, until she stepped down in 2023, Ute was a creative and inclusive leader of the RNA Salons, growing the program from 29 to over 50 sites across every continent (except Antarctica), and emphasizing the inclusion of RNA Salons in geographic locations that were historically underserved in collaboration with the RNA Society DEI Committee. Ute also encouraged the members of local RNA communities to think and act more inclusively, by adding requirements for DEI activities in RNA Salon applications. Her efforts to support RNA Salons and promote a switch to virtual seminars during the COVID-19 were extremely important in maintaining a sense of community and enabling inclusion during an isolating time. In a broader context, Ute has been an integral leader in the Canadian RNA community, by organizing national RNA conferences, developing RNA-focused training programs, and as a founding member of the newly formed RNA Canada ARN which aims to unite and advocate for Canadian RNA researchers. In her role within RNA Canada ARN, Ute continues to champion DEI initiatives as a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity Committee.
Ute and her lab are world leaders in identifying the molecular and structural features that allow different types of RNAs to fulfill diverse functions. The lab uses an integrated suite of approaches, ranging from biochemical and biophysical assays to genetics and genomics, to dissect the functional consequences of tRNA and rRNA processing and assembly, for the purposes of fundamental discovery, and as a means of better understanding and treating disease. Ute has been elected into the College of the Royal Society in Canada, received a RiboClub Blue Jacket award, and was awarded the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences (CSMB) Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lecture.